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Argynnis pandora (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) Cardinal Argynnis niobe (Linnaeus, 1758) Niobe Fritillary

A large fritillary, uncommon but may be locally abundant. Lebanese border; on this exceptional event the specimen Superficially resembles Melitaea spp., but is larger.
Easily separated from other fritillaries by the presence was possibly blown westwards from the Golan some 40- Flight is rapid and fairly close to the ground. Rare in
on both sexes of a large expanse of red on the forewing 50 km away (Gadi Ish-Am, pers. comm. to DB – illustr. Hatay, S Turkey, where adult flies in flowery meadows,
underside. Females have clearly defined silver lines on the 4). Jerusalem mountains- “big and beautiful” specimen that forest glades and mountain slops (Atahan et al., 2018:
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hindwing undersides, muted in the males. The Cardinal existed in father Schmidt’s collection in Jerusalem and 56), but may be locally common in the Anti-Lebanon
has a rapid and high flight allowing it to cover great possibly collected there was reported several times in lit. range, where adults prefer the subalpine and alpine
distances and to travel far from its woodland breeding - (Bodenheimer, 1932; Bodenheimen & Katshalski, 1936; vegetational belts at higher elevation, and adults are
areas to sources of nectar. Somewhat hilltopping species, Bodenheimer, 1937) but was not found in Schmidt’s often observed nectaring on the pink flowers of the wild
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it is known to group nectaring and puddling (illustr. 1.) collection at the Schmidt’s girls college in E Jerusalem by dwarf prostrate cherry (Cerasus prostrata). Males patrol DGXOW 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
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HJJ
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 9 - B | 21-12-22 | 12:22:47 | SR:-- | Magenta
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 9 - B | 21-12-22 | 12:22:47 | SR:-- | Yellow
On Mt Hermon, Israel, tens of adults were recorded DB who visited it on 1 July 1983 (Benyamini, D. 2015b). ravines, dolines and slops in search of females. Rated lar v a
#21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 9 - B | 21-12-22 | 12:22:47 | SR:-- | Black
pupa
21603-BRACHA-PARPAR - 21603-BRACHA-PARPAR | 9 - B | 21-12-22 | 12:22:47 | SR:-- | Cyan
aestivating on oak trees in the coline vegetation belt On 24 May 1994 Shai Libzon a yeshiva student collected Endangered (EN) in the Israeli Red List of Butterflies due
(1500-1600 m) during the summer months, were their a live specimen in the centre of Alon Shvut, 960 m asl, 24 to its small population (Renan et al., 2022 (in prep.)).
green underside camouflage them well among the leaves km S Jerusalem, nectaring on Lavandula angustifolia (=
(Moshe & Benyamini, 2016 – illustr. 2). In the autumn, L. officinalis). No other specimens were observed there
after their aestivation, courting males fly behind and ever again (Avihai Binyamini, 1998 & pers. comm. to DB).
slightly above female among Quercus trees from 1-1.5 The only available source of these rare migrants are Mt %LRORJ\
up to 15 metres above ground. After landing on Cirsium Meron/S Lebanon that are 150-170 km to the north.
phyllocephalum (Asteraceae) flowers – illustr. 3, female )OLJKW SHULRG May to June. 900-1900 m in Hatay, S
rejected advancing male by its semi-open forewings, /LIH KLVWRU\ univoltine. Early stages partially observed in Turkey (Atahan et al., 2018: 56). May to mid July in cold
flat hindwings and lifted abdomen (OT & DB obs. in Mt the Levant. On 24 September 2013 between Serinyol and years, 1500-2300 m in the Anti-Lebanon mountains.
Hermon 1200-1300 m in 21-25 Sept. 2015). In Madrid Arsus, 1100 m, in S Amanos Mt, Hatay, S Turkey a female 1828-2300 m in Al-Lazzab reserve, Syrian Anti-Lebanon
province, C Spain mated couples were photographed in landed at the bottom of a small ravine at the forest (Zarikian & Ghrejyan, 2018).
September (Garcia Barros, 2000 & pers. comm. to DB). edge, walked and checked litter for several minutes and
In the second half of the 1900s, the species experienced eventually laid a single egg on a dry oak leaf (Quercus sp.) /LIH KLVWRU\ univoltine. Early stages not reported in
a decline in numbers in C Europe (“hardly occurs” there (DB & OT pers. obs. – illustr. 5), on Mt. Hermon, Israel, the Levant. In Europe the females lay up to 150 eggs
Wiemers pers. comm. in Sept. 2021). Rated in Israel females were observed laying eggs on Crataegus aronia singly and rarely in small clusters on the ground, stones
as Vulnerable (VU) due to limited distribution and small trunk and branches 1.5-2 m above ground (DB per. obs.). or dry plants near the LHP. Sometime eggs are laid in A. n. philistra Seitz, 1901
population (Renan et al., 2022 (in prep.)). The egg is 0.45-0.60 mm tall (0.55 mm average, n=20), bark cracks on tree up to 2.5 m above ground. The egg
0.48-0.64 mm in diameter (0.54 mm average, n=20), has 14-16 vertical ribs and yellow when laid, changes to
cone shaped with a flat top covered with small bumps. It brown and turn grey before eclosion. The fully formed L1
%LRORJ\ has 15-21 ribs (17-18 average, n=20 and is smaller than hibernates within the egg until next spring. The hatching
eggs of other Argynnis spp. (Garcia Barros, 2000)). The larva does not consume the eggshell. Between feedings
)OLJKW SHULRG In Mt Hermon, adults start flying in May egg is cream-white when laid and changes to orange, and the larva hide in the leaf litter or under stones near the © Dubi Benyamini
and are on the wing until July, when they enter partial brown before hatching. The larva hatches after 6 days LHP. The larva feeds on the hostplant leaves and flowers,
aestivation, resuming flight in September or October and consume the eggshell - illustr. 6. L1 is 1.3 mm long, and to the slightest disturbance curls its body and fall
at which time eggs are laid; Occasionally observed pale gray with 6 rows of protrusions along the body, each to the ground. The larval stages last about 2.5 months. © Dubi Benyamini
throughout the summer in Cyprus, but elsewhere bearing a long black hair. The head is black, glossy and Pupation takes place at the base of the LHP in a loosely
the reduced numbers during this period have led to covered with short white hairs. The dorsal area behind constructed cocoon made of leaves joined with silk.
speculation of bivoltinism (e.g. Tolman, 1977; Larsen, the head is marked with a dark spot, it overwinters until Adults eclosed after 7-24 days. Males eclosed 7-10 days
1974: 121); May-July and October 900-1800 m in the regrowth of its Viola spp. LHP. The mature larva is 35 before the females (Lafranchis et al., 2015: 526-527;
Hatay (Atahan et al. 2018: 57); “A common species of mm long, black body with small white dots and yellowish- Warecki, 2010: 88 and pers. comm. to DB). © Adam Warecki © Adam Warecki
the flowery openings in the woods of the hillside and brown conical protrusions with branched spins and
in flowery mountain pastures” in May-July and worn yellowish-brown line along the sides. The suspended 23 5HFRUGHG KRVWSODQWV Violaceae – Viola canin, V.
individuals after the summer aestivation in August to late mm long pupa is black with light-brown spots and two modesta and V. tricolor var. [C].
September in and around the Aammiq marsh/area in the rows of small light-brown protrusions along the dorsal
Beqaa Valley E Lebanon (Beale & Sprenger, 2006); 1545- side of the abdomen. The spiracles are black. (González
2602 m at the Al-Lazzab reserve Syrian Anti-Lebanon Granados et al., 2009: 396). The adult eclosed after two 'LVWULEXWLRQ
(Zarikian & Ghrejyan, 2018). weeks (Warecki, 2010: 85).
TL: “Europa”. The species’ distribution ranges from W
0LJUDWLRQ Golan heights - singeltons migrate southwards 5HFRUGHG KRVWSODQWV Violaceae - Viola modesta, V. Europe to C Russia, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and
from Mt Hermon and were observed in May-July and tricolor var. [C]. In Cyprus, the suspected hostplants are Hermon. Absent from Cyprus, Jordan and Sinai. The © Adam Warecki © Dubi Benyamini
again in October in: Masada Forest (DB, July, 1973), Mt V. odorata, V. sieheana and V. alba (Makris, 2003: 234). species reaches its southern limit of distribution at Mt.
Varda (Avni, M. May 1992c; Movshovits, June 1992), Hermon.
Mt Odem (DB, June 2002f), Merom Golan (Avni, Z. & M. Two subspecies have been described from the Levant:
Oct. 2003), Mt Bental (Avni Z., Oct. 2005), Mt Hazika (DB 'LVWULEXWLRQ Argynnis (Fabriciana) niobe gigantea Staudinger, 1871;
Oct. 1981; Kirshenbaum & Avni Z., May 2016) as far as TL: Vienna. The species’ distribution ranges from the TL: “Hyre” (Astrabad, Hadjabad, Iran) – S Turkey - not
Butmiya Resevoir 40 km S of Mt Hermon lower slopes Canary Islands and N Africa (Tunisia), to S Europe, Turkey, illustr.
(Schneider, July 2002). Upper Galilee - migrating singletons Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, N & C Golan heights and Israel. Argynnis (F.) n. philistra Seitz, 1901; TL: Syria – Syria,
from nearby S Lebanon were observed on top of Mt Meron; The species reaches its southern limit of distribution in C Lebanon, Israel (Hermon).
(Startiner, Sept. 2015; Zaltzman, June 2018; Orgad, Israel at S Jerusalem Mts. where it is an extremely rare
Oct. 2019). However on 9 Oct. 1993, after three days visitor. Absent from Jordan and Sinai, but present also in
of “Eastern hot, dry & strong winds” a single worn male Iraq, Iran to NW India. The nominotypical ssp. flies in the
was collected (actually picked by hand) in Eilon N Israel, Levant. © Ofir tomer © Stav Talal
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